MBTA Bus Route 101

This bus goes to Sullivan Square, Somerville, Medford, and Malden. Therefore it is useful if you want to go to any of those places. It is relatively unuseful if you want to go to other places, such as Watertown, Hingham, Memphis, or Guangzhou.
This bus runs relatively frequently compared to other MBTA buses but it has a long, slow route and as the other acerbic reviews suggest it is typically running late. On the weekends the schedule is different and it actually runs infrequently compared to other MBTA weekend buses. The 101 bus can get very crowded.

Most busses can vary 10– 15 minutes on their dependability; however, the MBTA 101 is NOT like most busses. To clearly understand how awful the dependability is please allow me to give you a medium sized example of a specific trip (1 out of dozens):
After, work I take the 90 bus up to the Gym — great! I preplan the bus ride back to my apartment about an hour later — okay! I catch the MBTA 100 and take it 4 stops to catch our friend Mr. 101 Bus.
I am excited — I have made it across the Fellsway during high traffic in the pitch dark — an area that has multiple «Pedestrian Mortality Wreaths» that adorn the street lights — success!
I am early and very eager to go home and eat and «take a leak», but quietly I think optimistically «It’s okay the 101 bus should be here in 5 minutes — I should be home in 15 minutes». Well let’s see!
Slowly, I waiiiiiiiiiiitttttt and waiiiiitttt and waiiiittt. Oh, 25 minutes has gone by, hmm? Whatever has happened to the 101 bus? I have once again trusted the 101 bus and it has turned me highly sarcastic and my face is blue from cold.
” I’ll just catch the Next 101bus” I think. So, I waiiit and waiiiit. At this point I have figured if I would have walked — I would be already home. Oh, the bus arrives over 30 minutes late. My 1.5 miles that my lazy ass should have walked turned into an hour trip. That is literally 1.5 MPH !!! OMG!
I feel bad for the bus drivers the most because you can tell they are hauling ass, but between the stops that are every 30 seconds and traffic — their efforts are futile. My opinion is I think Malden is a Bermuda triangle for busses where busses go in, but the never come out.
Sorry 101 Bus …2 Stars… Compare that to 4 stars given to the 96 bus!!! Wrote this on the 101 Bus

The 101 is a good backup bus when I miss the 95 but that is about it. Usually it is overcrowded and for me needing to get from Medford Sq. to Sullivan (to the orange line) and vice versa, it is a better choice for me to take the 95.
The 101 isn’t bad but I wouldn’t call it great either.

The bus is very unreliable, especially during the middle of the day. Some bus drivers are nice, some are as mean as it gets. I often walk 2 to 3 miles instead of take the bus because it doesn’t show.

Sad — yet not shocked to report — that the 101 is still nowhere near it’s schedule on weekdays or weekends.
If you need to take the 101, plan ahead, far far ahead because you will have to either wait or end up walking.
Fail.

Never on time. Never, ever on time. Seriously. NEVER ON TIME EVER. Even the first bus of the day, leaving Malden at 4:56am, has been late. WTF! Even at 11 at night, it is late. I remember I got to Malden station once at around 1030, and knowing that I can walk to my house in roughly 15 – 20 minutes, I decided, why not. As soon as I started walking, not even getting past Elmwood Pharmacy, bam there it was. 35 minutes late. In the middle of the night. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN. Well, regardless, the 101 is never on time. Except the 720pm trip from Malden. For some reason, that usually is. The rest of it… not so much.

You weren’t there when I needed you most.
We were gonna take you to sullivan station, but you decided that you didn’t need to show up at your scheduled time on saturday afternoon. So what if you say you’ll be there at 12.15 on a saturday, we all know you won’t.
You broke my heart.